Also:

Tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 22, is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, and we thought the best way to celebrate these gorgeous, goofy, and often misunderstood dogs would be to encourage everyone reading who has ever had a positive experience with these pupsters to share their story in the comments section below.

To kick things off, we’ve invited our friend Laura Petrolino of StubbyDog to tell us what National Pit Bull Day means to her.

StubbyDog is a nonprofit that is working to change public perception and improve the lives of Pits everywhere. (You can read more about them on their Facebook page.)

Here’s Laura! — Janine K.

++++

Because I grew up with dogs, there have only been a handful of sad times when I was forced to lead a dogless life. During one of them, while I was in graduate school, a good friend, knowing of my extreme dog withdrawal, connected me with a colleague who was looking for a dog sitter. And so Ruby entered my life.

Ruby was a medium-sized, beautiful brown Pit Bull who bounced when she walked and tended to steal all the blankets at night. I was able to overlook this slight annoyance (and my cold toes) because Ruby won me over with her ridiculously goofy and loving personality. She was just what I needed, and I secretly waited for her guardian to go out of town again so I could have my Ruby vacations.

Several years later I discovered StubbyDog, a nonprofit whose mission was to change the public perception of Pit Bulls and help people rediscover them as lifelong friends. Although I’d read shocking media stories about “dangerous” and “vicious” Pit Bulls, sweet, bed-hogging Ruby was what I saw when I thought of the breed. I knew very little about the prejudice and hateful responses the dogs and their guardians are forced to deal with every day.

Because of dogs like Ruby, almost anyone who has ever known and loved a Pit Bull becomes an advocate for them, which is why events like National Pit Bull Awareness Day, on Saturday, Oct. 22, rally people to support these wonderful dogs.

Pit Bull Awareness Day shines a spotlight on brave, loyal, and loving Pit Bulls you don’t often read about in the media, such as:

And Jagger, the victim of dog fighting, who teaches us all the power of forgiveness.

There are so many heroes — canine and human — working to change public perception and improve the lives of Pit Bulls everywhere. Every day I’m inspired by a new story of hope, courage, and love! We know there’s a lot to do before more people begin to think positively about Pit Bulls, the way I did with Ruby. But the more stories we can share like those above, the better chance we have.

Dogsters, let’s make this Pit Bull Awareness Day really meaningful. How has a Pit Bull affected your life? What would you tell others about your Pittie? Please share your pawsitive stories below!